


Possessive

by Project0506



Series: Soft Wars [38]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, gen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23610991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Project0506/pseuds/Project0506
Summary: Rex's troopers aren't up for grabs.  It's non-negotiable.
Series: Soft Wars [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683775
Comments: 36
Kudos: 774





	Possessive

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Beginning and Becoming](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23593876) by [Project0506](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Project0506/pseuds/Project0506). 



A vod falls into step with him somewhere between the Tipoca landing pad and the advanced tactics training wing.

Well, Rex thinks it’s a vod. There’s something about his face that Rex pegs as familiar. Nothing about the rest of him is. Any place but Kamino and Rex would have looked right past him as a typical mercenary, down to the massive knife he has holstered on his right thigh. No, no one would assume he’s a clone.

Must be useful for undercover work.

“The Infamous Captain Rex,” he says. He has a weird twist of respectful and vaguely mocking in his tone, all tied up with a host of other things Rex can’t parse. It’s interesting; Rex has never had that much difficulty reading a brother before.

“I wouldn’t say ‘infamous’,” Rex hedges.

The man laughs. “If you weren’t before, you are now.” And yes, there’s definitely a hint of mocking there but it’s directionless, or at least not aimed at Rex himself. This is the kind of man that just doesn’t think much of Rex’s kind of man. Rex doesn’t take it personally. You don’t get far in the army taking things like that personally.

“Have we met?” he asks, knowing they haven’t.

A wave, as casually dismissive as the rest of him. “Sergeant Hunter, Clone Force 99. Wouldn’t imagine you’ve heard of us. We don’t tend to run in your kind of circles.”

Special forces then. Those, and the spies, tended to have the highest opinions of themselves.

ARCs, Rex has always thought, couldn’t afford that kind of luxury.

“A pleasure Sergeant. Did you need something?”

“Just a friendly hello. We’re going to the same meeting.” A grin twists up the side of his mouth. “One of yours threw one of mine through a building in Advanced Training.”

_Fives._ Sith karking hell, Rex thinks. He can feel annoyance threatening at a headache the edges of his eyes. Well now he knows why he’s reporting in to Advanced Training and not just picking them up from the landing pad.

But Fives is Torrent. Rex stands behind him, no matter how little self-control he displays in high-stress environments.

“I’m sorry that was necessary,” Rex says pleasantly.

Sgt Hunter barks a laugh. Rex imagines he sees something like approval. “Wrecker had it coming,” Hunter admits. “I’m actually surprised it took that long.”

Rex considers it. Well, at least Fives _tried_. Rex will keep that in mind. Still, there’s a guaranteed way to get Fives to lose his temper. “Picking on Echo?”

“Picking _up_ Corporal Echo,” Hunter corrects. “None of your three came up on rotation for bids.”

That’s an interesting change of subject. Rex looks curiously at the non-sequitur. “I only put forward ARC candidates with the understanding that they would come back to Torrent after training. Their duty assignments were never up for bid.”

The Sgt hums.

Rex stops walking.

“What is this about?” he demands. This is sounding less like a disciplinary incident and far more like something Rex distinctly doesn’t like.

Hunter turns to face him, what humor he had before gone. “Your kid is brilliant,” he says. “Plays well with my Defects, and if you meet them you’d understand that’s no little thing. We need a tactician.”

“He’s not up for bid. None of them are.”

Hunter tips his head. “Yeah. Found that out. But The Bad Batch doesn’t really play in the standard margins, you understand? Sometimes we have to go outside the playbook to get results.”

Rex understands some of the struggles Anakin has with rage. “You thought you’d just take him.”

“And figure out the paperwork later,” Hunter agrees. His lips tick up in a half smile. “It didn’t work that well. Three on three is amazing odds for my boys, we don’t ever get that. Should have been cake, quick snatch-and-grab only, send a heartfelt apology for hurt feelings later.”

“And then someone got thrown out of a building.”

“Through.” Hunter laughs. “Out the window of the observation tower, through one of the kill-boxes and right out the other side.”

Rex grits his teeth. “Condolences.” Hunter waves that off as well.

“He bounced. He’s fine. The point is. You’re not just Torrent company’s officer are you? Those three. They’re not just resources under your command. I suspect none of the troopers under your command are just resources.” There’s something a lot friendlier about Sgt Hunter’s face now than when they first met. “An apology and surrendered resources wouldn’t be enough to pacify you, would it?”

“It’s fortunate that I don’t have to hunt ‘your boys’ down,” Rex agrees. Hunter grins. He claps a hand on Rex’s shoulder.

“A warning, Captain.” He jerks a chin to the double doors that separate this hall from the entrance to the advanced combat wing. “Through those doors are a distressing number of very influential officers, willing to offer you a very attractive chance to correct your mistake when you refused to submit your ARC candidates for bid. Your boys impressed a lot of people.”

“They can go fuck themselves.”

That gets a surprised laugh. Hunter turns and they fall back into step. “One day Captain, you’re going to have to roll with the Bad Batch. I can see us having some fun.”

“Captain!” Fives yells with vicious glee before Rex has properly stepped through the doors. “You’re not gonna _believe_ what Lt Jesse did!”

**Author's Note:**

> Did anyone see how fast Jesse threw down against the Bad Batch because someone said something mean about Rex? Because I saw it. I saw.


End file.
